NIUE

Culture

Niue’s remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have led to it being separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about 2,100 in 2002 and about 1,200 in 2011) with substantial emigration to New Zealand and Australia. It is self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974, with Niue fully responsible for domestic affairs, and New Zealand asked to retain responsibility for foreign affairs and defence.

Landscape

From the sea approaches Niue is flat with its cliff faces resembling a large ‘Swiss cheese’ composed of coral limestone rock peppered with caves, hidden caverns and chasms, buried grottoes and other subterranean natural fissures that are yet to be discovered and developed into tourist attractions.

The island is approximately 73km in circumference with two distinct terraces. The upper terrace, 60m high at its highest point, slopes steeply to a 0.5m coastal terrace ending with high cliffs, some over 20m above sea level. A rugged fringing reef, which in places over 100m wide, surrounds the island.

Steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau. Unlike most Pacific islands, there are no long, white sandy beaches, only tiny, secluded, white sand beaches that might be yours for the whole day.
Time difference from mainland New Zealand
You need to cross the Dateline (west to east) on travelling from Mainland New Zealand to Niue, so the country is as much as 23 hours behind the mainland (winter) and 24h (the whole day) behind in the summer time. So be careful about the date when you communicate between Niue and Mainland New Zealand, because Auckland is one day ahead of Niue.

Climate

Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds. The average daytime temperature is 27°C from May to October and 30°C from November to April. December to March is the cyclone season

Currency:
Niue, a country in free association with New Zealand, uses two official legal tender currencies. While they use the New Zealand dollar, the government also issues legal tender coins using the Niue dollar for collector’s purposes.
Before the creation of the New Zealand dollar, Niue was a user of the pound sterling and the very early commemorative coins of Niue were in pound or shilling increments.

Niue first began issuing coins in 1966. These have been mostly bullion and non-circulating base metal commemorative issues. They are acceptable as legal tender within Niue, though unlikely to be found anywhere on the island.

Languages:
Niuean /njuːˈeɪən/[3] (Niuean: ko e vagahau Niuē) is a Polynesian language, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian languages. It is most closely related to Tongan and slightly more distantly to other Polynesian languages such as Māori, Sāmoan, and Hawaiian. Together, Tongan and Niuean form the Tongic subgroup of the Polynesian languages. Niuean also has a number of influences from Samoan and Eastern Polynesian languages.

Travel Insurance:
When buying your travel insurance, always check the small print – some policies specifically exclude ‘dangerous activities’, which could be anything from scuba diving to horse riding. You should check whether the medical coverage is on a pay first, claim later basis and, more importantly, ensure that your medical coverage includes the cost of medical evacuation.

Visa:
Entry Visa. Not required by bona fide tourists staying less than 30 days with return or onward tickets and sufficient funds for length of stay. Extensions are available by applying to the Immigration Office before arrival